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Joshua Bigelow (1655-1745)
}} Biography Joshua 2 BIGELOW, sixth child and fifth son of John 1 and Mary (WARREN) BIGELOW , was born 5 Nov 1655 in Watertown, Middlesex county, MA. Just before reaching his majority, on 20 October 1676, he married Elizabeth FLAGG, daughter of Thomas and Mary (?) FLAGG. She was born in Watertown 22 March 1657, according to the BIGELOW genealogy, but the FLAGG genealogy and Bond's history give this correctly as 1655. She died in Watertown 9 Aug 1729. Some authorities list Elizabeth's maiden name as FLEGG (which may be correct). Joshua was appointed executor of his father's will, along with his brother in law Isaac LARNED. In return for which he received a larger share of his father's estate than did his brothers and sisters. He appears to have been well known in his lifetime. King Phillip's War Joshua served in the colonial engagement known as King Phillip's War, as a member of Capt. Ting's company. He was wounded, and as a result was given a grant of land in Narragansett No. 2, which we know as Westminister, MA. However, Joshua continued to live in Watertown until his last few years, the grant passing to his son Eleizer. See also Bodge's volume on the colonial wars. His son Eleazer and wife settled on land that was given to his father for being a soldier who was wounded in King Philip's War. The bounty land upon which Eliezer built his home was lot number 12, at the intersection of Main Street and Hubbardston Road. Final Days Howe's Bigelow Family in America says that "in his 87th year, being anxious to reside on the land he had earned at the peril of his life", Joshua removed to Westminister with his son Eleizer, and lived there until his death on 01 February 1745. He outlived all his brothers and sisters save Abigail (BIGELOW) HARRINGTON. Family of Joshua Bigelow and Elizabeth Flagg Joshua and Elizabeth (FLAGG) BIGELOW had twelve children, all born Watertown: # Joshua, born 25 Nov 1677; died 09 May 1728 Weston, MA; married 17 Oct 1701 Hannah FISKE. Resided Weston. 9 children. # Jonathan, born 22 Mar 1679; died after 1745 (his will is dated Jan 1746) at Weston, MA; married (1) 11 June 1702 Elizabeth BEMIS, who died 1734; and (2) 29 Jan 1742 Mary RICE. Resided Weston. 5 children. # Lieut. John, born 20 Dec 1681; died 8 Mar 1770 Colchester, CT; married four times as follows: (1)about 1705 Hannah ______, who died 1709; (2) 09 Nov 1709 his first cousin Sarah BIGELOW; (3) about 1755 Abigail ______, who died 1760; and (4) Hannah MUNN. Lived Hartford, CT. to 1709, then Colchester, CT. 2 sons from first marriage (John and David), 3 children from second. # Benjamin, born 20 Jan 1683; he was "in the public service", and was injured by being thrown from a horse. Died 27 Oct 1709, unmarried. # Jabez. There are no actual records of this son. Family tradition says he moved to Bristol, England, and became a merchant. But genealogists have never found any trace of him in England. # Elizabeth, born 3 Aug 1687;died Sept 26 1748, Worcester, Ma.* ; married 28 Feb 1724 Jonathan HARRINGTON. 1 daughter. # Mercy. Bond's "Genealogies and History of Watertown" places a daughter of this name in Joshua's family, but it is now generally agreed that there was no such daughter, and Bond was confused by Samuel(2) BIGELOW's daughter Mercy, whose birth was accidentally recorded as "Martha". # David, born 30 Apr 1694; said to have died in Spain, but there is no proof. # Joseph, born 29 Dec 1695; died 6 Jan 1765 Weston, MA; married (1)about 1720 Sarah ______, who died 18 Feb 1755 "in her fifties"; and (2) 10 July 1755 Thankful ROBINSON, who outlived him to marry (2) 1766 Ezra GRAVES, and (3) 1769 Isaac RICE, both of Sudbury. Joseph resided Weston, and had 3 children born 1720's. # Daniel, baptized 29 Aug 1697; died about 1769 Worchester, MA; married at unknown date Elizabeth WHITNEY. Resided Worchester, MA. 6 children. # Ebenezer, born 04 Sept 1698; married 29 May 1720 Hannah BROWNE. They moved to Weston, then Worchester, next Newton, then Waltham. Ebenezer was a ship's carpenter, and is said to have died in Cuba. Church records show 12 children, several of whom have proved untraceable. # Gershom Bigelow (1701-1789) - born 06 Sept 1701; died 02 Feb 1769 Auburn, MA; married 25 June 1724 Rachel GALE. Resided Weston, Sutton, and Auburn. 9 children at least, of whom only 5 are listed in Bigelow genealogy. Of these, one daughter's marriage is incorrect, and a son's family is also incorrect. # Eleazer Bigelow (1705-1762) - died at Westminister, MA; living on land given to his father as a bounty for service in King Philip's War married 24 Nov 1724 Mary FISKE. Resided Watertown and Westminister. 7 children. References * Joshua Bigelow History - Bigelow Family Society * Howe, Bigelow Family in America; * Bond, Genealogies and History of Watertown; * vital records of various Massechusetts towns. * Joshua Bigelow - disambiguation * Bigelow in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Category:Military personnel of King Philip's War